Throughout this application, various references are cited in square brackets to describe more fully the state of the art to which this invention pertains. Full bibliographic information for each citation is found at the end of the specification, immediately preceding the claims. The disclosure of the references is hereby incorporated by reference into the present disclosure.
Oxidative stress (OS) is a biological state that occurs when a cell's antioxidant capacity is overwhelmed by reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing a redox imbalance. ROS are a type of free radical, which is formed with oxygen. Free radicals are chemical substances that contain one or more unpaired orbital electrons and are therefore unstable and liable to react with other molecules to form more stable compounds with a lower energy state. In an attempt to achieve this stable state, ROS reacts with proteins, lipids, and DNA, This can result in damage and even inactivation of cellular components such as enzymes, membranes, and DNA. As such, ROS and oxidative stress as a whole have been suggested to participate in the initiation and/or propagation of diseases such as cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases, cancer, and diabetes [Valko M. et al. Mol. Cell. Biochem. 266(1-2)37 (2004)].
ROS can be produced on a regular basis during oxidative metabolism and in more potent levels during inflammation [Rosen G M, et al. FASEB J. 9(2):200 (1995)]. Therefore, antioxidative stress mechanisms and antioxidants are key to limiting the proliferation of ROS and re-establishing a stable redox balance.
It is generally known that antioxidants are required in a certain minimum amount to maintain infant health. Premature infants (<1500 g birthweight) are subject to diseases as a result of oxidative stress [Saugstadt O D. Acta Pediatr Scand. 79: 881 (1990)]. A number of beneficial effects have been ascribed to human breast milk [Diehl-Jones W L and Askin D F. American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) Clin Issues 15: 83 (2004)]. Infants fed with human milk are found to gain protection against necrotizing enterocolitis, and have fewer upper respiratory tract infections and systemic infections.
Given the challenges for maintaining human milk supplies, mother milk substitutes, such as infant formula or other animal's milk may be the only option for many infants.
There is, therefore, a need for new compounds derived from mother's milk that provide antioxidant advantages and may be used as ingredients to mothers' milk substitutes.